Bullet shield



E. L. HITE BULLET SHIELD Aug. 4, 1936.

' Filed Nov. 20,

1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTO R N EY Aug. 4, 1936. E. HITE 2,050,178

BULLET SHIELD I Filed Nov. 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VENTOR ATTORNEY deputies,

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE BULLET SHIELD Ernest L. Hite, Sedalia, M0. Application November 20, 1934, Serial No. 753,929 1 Claim. (01. 89-36) The invention relates to a body protective shield and more especially to a collapsible bullet shield.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a shield of this character, wherein officers of the law, such as policemen, sheriffs, guards of all State and Federal penitentiaries or the like can be protected from gunfire, the shield being of novel construction as the same is normally in a collapsed condition and when operated will spread in fan fashion to guard or protect the'body of the user, the said shield being also usable by employees of banks, filling stations or other public places, businesses or private homes, to guard against gunfire of robbers, outlaws, gangsters or any attempt at body injury.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a shield of this character, wherein thesame is constructed with a plurality of swinging blades, these being extended and collapsed, the extending of the blades being effected through the operation of a trigger which is hand controlled, and when the blades are extended the human body will be protected from injury .by gunfire or otherwise, the shield being adaptable more especially for ofiicers of the law.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a shieldof this character which is simple in construction, thoroughly reliable and eflicient in its purpose, bullet-proof, strong, durable, readily and easily operated, and inexpensive to manufacture.

With these and other objects in view, the invention" consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully.described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the preferred embodiment of the invention, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the shield constructed in accordance with the invention and shown extended for protection to the human body.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 1. Figure 6 is an elevation partly broken away showing the shield in collapsed or folded condition.

Figure 7 is a plan view of one of the fan-like blades of the shield.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings. 5

Referring to the drawings in detail, the shield comprises a frame A including spaced parallelhalf-circular plates I0 and I I, respectively, these being united in their spaced relation to each other through the medium of a webbing or spacer 10 part I 2. Fixed transversely in these plates I0 and II is a journal or shaft I3 swingingly supporting a series of fan-like blades I4, one outermost one I5 of which is riveted or otherwise made fast, as at I6, against swinging movement, while the 5 other outermost one I7 constitutes the spreader for the blades, it being acted upon by a coiled tensioning spring I8 connected therewith and with the plate II next thereto. This spring I8 is coiled about the shaft or J'llllll'dl I3 for the 20.

blades.

Arranged between the plates I0 and II is a trigger 2|, the same being pivoted, at 22, and engageable with latching nibs 23 formed on the blades I4 and H, the trigger being provided with 25 the finger grip extension 24 located near the handle 25 carried by the plates I0 and II, so that a person gripping the handle 25 can conveniently actuate the said trigger 2I which latches with the nibs 23 of the blades I4 and I1 and in this con- 30 dition the blades I4, I5 and II are in alignment with each other 'or in collapsed relation one to the other.

Carried by the plate II and extended over the handle 25 is a hand protective guard 26 for cov- 35 ering the hand when gripping the handle 25 of the shield. The plate I0 carries an eye 21 for a shoulder strap 28 so that theshield can be hung from the left shoulder of the user of the device 4 and in its use the left hand of the user grips the handle 25 on inserting the said hand in the guard 26 and the forefinger of this hand will'engage with the trigger 2I so that on releasing the trigger the shield will automatically be extended for 45 covering or guarding the body of the user from a point below the crotch to and above the head of such person.

The blades I4, and including the blades I5 and I1, have arranged thereon abutments 29, these being in the path of each other, so that when the blade I! leads in the opening of the shield under the action of the spring I8, the blades I I, by the arrangement of the abutments 29, will follow successively in their order for the extending of ent from Figure 1 of the drawings.

As has been stated, normally the shield is collapsed, as is shown in Figure 6 of the drawings, and by hand manipulation, on operation of the trigger 2|, the series of blades of the shield will be extended or spread with relation to each other under the action of the spring l8 active upon the lead blade l'l, so that the shield will be fully opened and serviceable for protection against body harm or injury, particularly gunfire, the blades of the shield being made from suitable bullet-proof material. The shield can be opened automatically with great rapidity by reason of the tension of the spring l8. The blades, when in an open or extended position, are in overlapped relation to each other to avoid any open gaps therebetween. The opening or extension of the blades of the shield is limited by the contact of the abutments 29 with each other of the respective blades, as should be apparent from Figure 2 of the drawings. 1

It is to be understood that in the wearing of the shield the blade part I is lowermost when the shield is suspended from the shoulder of the user and the lead blade I! swings outwardly and upwardly with the blades l4 following for the op ningof the shield or extending thereof to pr tect the body of the wearer against gunfire or other injury during encounter with an outlaw.

What is claimed is:

A steel fan shield which includes a frame adapt- 10 ed to be supported by a shoulder strap on the wearer, a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame,

a fan blade fixed to the shaft and other fan blades pivoted on said shaft, a coiled spring on the shaft and having one end fixed to the frame and its other end to the fan blade which is fixed to the shaft, a dog on the shaft, a spring engaging the dog to hold the shaft from turning by the influence of the coiled spring, a trigger for operating the dog, contact elements on the opposed edges of the fan blades whereby when the dog is retracted to permit said blades moving to spread or closed position and said blades being held in such spread or folded position by the dog, and one of said fan blades being fixed to the frame in the path of contact with the blade adjacent thereto for limiting the opening or spreading of the other fan blades under the influence of the spring.

ERNEST L. HITE. 

